Water change day

Hello Hivians!

Today is water change day for the Blue Velvet Shrimp Tank. Shrimp like steady water parameters therefore it is essential to not change too much water in one go. It is also essential to not allow nitrates to build up too much in your tank (ammonia and nitrites also, but shouldn't have any in a cycled tank)

I change around 9 litres per week, around 20%. Some people prefer to do smaller % than this, but 20% has always worked well for my neocaridina in the past. Unfortunately i do not have RO water (pure water with 0 TDS) to remineralise, so i have to stick with dechlorinated tap water.

After i have drained the water feom my tank, during which i gravel vac the substrate to remove as much shrimp and snail poop as possible, which will add to the nitrates in the tank if left unchecked. I sit a bucket ontop of the tank and let it slowly siphon back in to the tank. This allows for a slower change in the water, which is better for the shrimp.

At the same time i remove the filters and clean these in old tank water to remove any waste build up in the sponges. I use old tank water so that i don't harm the beneficial bacteria living in them, as the chlorine in tap water would kill these, leading to an uncycled tank.